Corset.



J. E. DOOLI'I'TLB.

CORSET. APPLIUATION FILED HAB. 17, 1910.

Patented May 30, 1911.

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`JAMES E. DOOLITTLE, 0F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO BIRDSEY-SOMERS COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

CORSET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1911.

Application filed March 17, 1910. Serial No; 549,990.

the center supporters pull from the sides of the corset inward over the abdomen and downward centrally, so that the tendency of the center supporters to spread apart and to tear the clasp covers away from the clasp members, leaving the lower ends of the clasp members exposed, is wholly done away with and both the side and center supporters act independently to hold the abdomen down, so that should either supporter become detached from the stocking the other supporter will still be acting to hold the abdomen down.

It has heretofore been a serious objection y to stocking supporting abdominal corsets that the center supporters tended to pull away from the center instead of toward the center bringing a lateral strain on the clasp cover against the clasp members, which caused the lower ends of the clasp members to quickly wear through the clasp covers. This is wholly overcome by my present construction which provides that both the side and center supporters shall act independently to hold the abdomen down so that should either supporter become detached in use the other supporter will act effectively in holding the abdomen down and furthermore insures that under no circumstances will suflicient lateral strain be brought upon the clasps to cause the latter to wear through the clasp covers.

The drawing is an elevation of a corset, partly broken away to illustrate the construction and operation of my novel improvement.

10 denotes the front sections, 1l the side sections, 12 the back sections, 13 the draw strips, 14 the clasp covers, 15 one of the clasps, 16 the center supporters, 17 the side supporters and 18 supplemental supporters present invention is concerned.

which may or may not be used as an additional holding means for the stockings (not shown). The special style in which the front and side sections are made up and boned and the special style of supporters used are wholly immaterial so far as the The front and side sections are shown as secured together by side seams, indicated by 19. The draw strips extend obliquely downward and forward from the side seams. The rear ends ofthe draw strips are secured to the forward edges of the side sections at a point adjacent the waist line of the corset. The clasp covers overlie the front ends of the draw strips and are secured thereto and to the front sections by seams 20. The upper edges of the draw strips are secured to the front sections by seams 21, and the lower edges of the draw strips are secured to the front section by seams 22 which, however, terminate at a distance back from the front edges of the front sections as at points indicated by 23, at which points the draw strips and the front sections are firmly secured together in such a manner that they cannot get torn apart in use, leaving, however, the portions of the draw strips and the front sections forward of points 23 unattached. From points indicated by 24 the inner edges of the front sections fall outward away from the clasp covers, these free inner edges of the front sections being indicated by 25. From points 23 the lower edges of the draw strips, which are specifically indicated by 26, extend downward to the lower ends of the clasp covers, these lower edges 26 of the draw strips crossing the free inner edges 25 of the front sections, as at 27, said edges being, however, wholly unattached to each other. The center supporters are attached to the lower ends of the draw strips and clasp covers and are adapted to engage the stocking on the inner side of the limb; the side supporters are attached to the lower ends of the front sections and are adapted to engage the stocking at the front or side of the limb; and the supplemental supporters are attached to the lower ends of the side sections. These supplemental supporters are provided merely as an additional supporting device for the stockings and may or may not be used, their use or non-use being immaterial so far as the present invention is concerned.

From the foregoing it will be observed that both the clasp covers and the draw strips at their lower ends are free of the body of the corset, and the center supporters 16 are attached to both. `Thusthe pull of said supporters exerts a tension longitudinally along the draw strips as well as longitudinally of the clasp covers. This pull, because of the location of the supporters between the nether limbs of the wearer is from the sides obliquely do-wnward and inward without any tendency to pull outward. The draw strips being secured both to the side sections adjacent the waist line and to the front sections act to draw both of these sections downward and inward over the abdomen and to hold theabdomen down. The pull of the side supporters is in the opposite direction, that is from the center obliquely downward and outward. This is owing to the fact that the front sections below their point of attachment to the clasp covers Kfall away from the clasp covers, as clearly shown. The line of pull,therefore, of the side supporters is upon the clasp covers and crosses the line of pull of the center suppo-rters upon the side and front sections. The result is that both center and side supporters act to hold the abdomen down by pulling downward obliquely in opposite directions, and should either a center sup- -porter or a side supporter become detached from the stocking the supporter that remainsl attached will still act to hold the abdomen down. Furthermore, owing to the fact that the pull of the center supporters is from the sides toward the center, the severe strains tending to separate the clasps and wear out the clasp covers are overcome and all tendency of the center supporters to spread apart and to cause the clasps to wear through the clasp covers is done away with.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

l. A corset provided with clasp covers, front sections secured thereto and having their forward edges cut away and diverging downwardly from each other to form an open space, the lower ends of said clasp covers extending downwardly into the space thus formed, sidesections secured to said front sections, draw strips extending forwardly and downwardly over and secured to the faces of said front sections, the rear ends of said draw strips being secured to the side sections adjacent the waist line, the forward ends of said draw strips projecting across and separate from the cut away portions of the forward edges of said front sections and secured to the outside edges of said clasp covers, center supporters attached to the lower ends o-f said draw strips, and side supporters secured to said front sections and exerting a tension across the line of tension on said draw strip-s. j.

2. A corset provided with clasp covers, front sections secured thereto and having their forward edges diverging downwardly from the adjacent edges of said clasp covers, the lower ends of said cla-sp covers extending downwardly into the space thus formed, side sections secured to said front sections, supporters attached to said side sections, downwardly and forwardly extending draw strips stitched to said front sections and secured to the clasp covers, the stitching of the lower edges of said draw strips terminating at a point removed from the outer edges of said clasp cover, and supporters' attached to the lower edges of said draw strips.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES E. DOOLITTLE.

Vitnesses WM. A. DONAHUE, SABINA J. MOYNIH'AN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

